Lesney Matchbox 68a Austin radio truck

Moko Lesney Matchbox 68a Austin Radio Truck

Following the influx of military vehicles to join the Matchbox 1-75 series in the late 1950s was the Lesney model of the Austin (K9) radio truck.
The recently introduced military vehicles were an unusual choice because they would not have been recognisable to the children that were buying the toys so must have had a very limited appeal,
In fact by 1965 most of the military vehicles had been replaced by regular road going vehicles which shows that adding the military vehicles to the range had perhaps been a mistake,
When the last real military vehicle which was the Alvis Stalwart joined the range in 1965 it was not issued in the usual military olive green like its predecessors but in the civillian colour of white and yellow with decals for "BP Exploration" which is a very doubtful livery which almost certainly never existed.
The Austin radio truck joined the range in 1959. It had military dark green body and baseplate and the early issues had silver trim to the headlights and front bumper, and occasionally the radiator grill can be found with silver trim.

It was always fitted with knobbly or later fine tread black plastic wheels and on the very early issues these were on domed head crimped axles and on the later issues domed head rounded axles which are much more common.

There is only one minor casting variation to the windscreen and that is the early issues has rounded corners to the windscreens and the last issue the windscreen has square cut corners.
An unusal feature of this model is the ghost like writing that is just discernable on the baseplate.
The name was originally inscribed on the outer edges of the base but before the model went into production these details were moved to the center of the base but dispite being removed some of the original lettering can still be seen.
It was sold in type 'B' 'C' and 'D' boxes and as it stayed in the range for six years, until 1965, it is quite common.

Left: rounded window corners - Right: square window corners

code number	wheel type	axle type	silver trim	windscreen corners
code 1	black plastic wheels 11 x 24	crimped axles	headlights, bumper, grille	rounded windscreen corners
code 2	black plastic wheels 11 x 24	crimped axles	headlights, bumper	rounded windscreen corners
code 3	black plastic wheels 11 x 24	rounded axles	headlights, bumper, grille	rounded windscreen corners
code 4	black plastic wheels 11 x 24	rounded axles	headlights, bumper	rounded windscreen corners
code 5	black plastic wheels 11 x 24	rounded axles	no silver trim	rounded windscreen corners
code 6	black plastic wheels 11.5 x 45	rounded axles	headlights, bumper	rounded windscreen corners
code 7	black plastic wheels 11.5 x 45	rounded axles	headlights, bumper	square windscreen corners
code 8	black plastic wheels 11.5 x 45	rounded axles	no silver trim	square windscreen corners

box types	notes
B4	without background
B4	with background
B5	without background
B5	with background
C	without background
C	with background
D1	one black side one blue
D2	one black side one blue

values

all models £30

values are for mint models in mint boxes

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